Snubbed truck



Oct. 18; 1949. R, c. PIERCE 2,485,013

SNUBBED TRUCK Filed Nov. 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Oct. 18, 1949. R. c. PIERCE I 2,485,013

SNUBBED TRUCK I N VEN TOR.

@wwv ed Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNUBBED TRUCK Raymond 0. Pierce, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 3, 1944, Serial No. 561,669

23 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a truck incorporating snubbing means for dampening oscillations of the spring-supported truck bolster.

My invention is illustrated as applied to a truck of the type shown in a co-pending application, Serial No. 436,731, filed March 30, 1942, in the United States Patent O-fiice in the name of David M. Light for Car truck, and issued June 19, 1945, as Patent No. 2,378,414. This type of truck, particularly wherein the friction shoes are carried by the bolster, has proved to be an extremely practical design under service conditions, and it is the object of the present invention to incorporate certain features which facilitate the assembling and disassembling of the bolster and friction shoe unit with the truck side frame.

The general object of my invention is to design a truck of the above type in which the friction shoes are interlocked with the bolster in such manner as to permit slight rotation or rocking of the shoes as the bolster is removed from the bolster opening, thereby releasing the pressure of the shoes against the columns and at the same time maintaining the shoes in assembled relationship with the bolster in such manner that the shoes and bolster may readily be reinserted as a unit into the side frame bolster opening.

My invention comprehends a novel bolster and friction shoe unit wherein novel interlocking means is provided on the bolster and friction shoes, the shoe-actuating springs being housed within the bolster and being operable to urge said interlocking means into cooperative relation whereby the shoes are tilted or rotated in such manner that the friction faces of the respective shoes converge, thereby facilitating entrance of the unit into the side frame bolster opening.

My invention also comprises a novel bolster including a pocket in at least one side thereof, the bolster being formed with spaced diagonal ledges within the pocket, each ledge terminating at its outer extremity in a stop lug adapted for engagement with the associated friction shoe to limit outward movement thereof.

My invention also comprehends a friction shoe of novel form comprising a main friction wall with a spring seat wall and spaced ledge or wing portions projecting rearwardly therefrom, the ledge portions presenting wedge surfaces offset at their juncture with the main wall to afford stop means for engagement with complementary stop means on the bolster, and the spring seat wall presenting a spring seat sloping from the main wall in such manner as to facilitate the beforementioned tilting or rotating action of the shoe by accommodating relatively great spring pressure on the spring seat adjacent its front extremity.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car truck embodying my invention, portions of the structure being shown in section to clarify the illustration.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top view of the structure shown in Figure 1 with the side frame illustrated in section through the column thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the bolster taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and Figure 4 is an end view of the bolster.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1-.

Figures 6-8 inclusive illustrate in detail one of my novel friction shoes, Figure 6' being a bottom plan view thereof, Figure 7 being a side elevation thereof, and Figure 8 being a rear elevation.

Describing my invention in detail, the side frame is of conventional type comprising tension and compression members 2 and 4 and a column 6 merging therewith adjacent each end of the frame to define a bolster opening ID with a widened upper portion indicated at I2.

The tension member 2 is of conventional design and is of box section beneath the bolster opening with the top chord l4 widened and formed at each of the inboard and outboard sides thereof with an upstanding flange I 6 affording convenient confining means for the bolster supporting coil springs diagrammatically indicated at I8, l8, said springs affording support in the usual manner for a bolster generally designated 20.

The bolster, as may be clearly seen from a consideration of Figures 2-4 inclusive, is a boxsection member comprising top and bottom walls 22 and 24 merging at each side of the bolster with a side wall 26 formed with inboard and outboard interlocking lugs or gibs 28 and 3!! for cooperation with the column 6 to aiford'an interlock between the side frame and the bolster. It will be readily understood by a comparison of Figures 1 and 4 that the outboard gib 30 is of less depth than the widened upper portion I2 of the bolster opening so that the bolster may be elevated therein and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change as hereinafter more fully described.

At each side thereof the bolster is formed with a friction shoe pocket 32 defined by the inboard and outboard walls 34 and 36 and the rear wall 38, all of said walls 34, 36 and 38 extending between the top and bottom Walls 22 and 2A and merging therewith to define a sturdy box-section structure. Each of the inboard and outboard walls 34 and 36 is offset to define a ledge 40 having a crowned wedge face in engagement as at 42 (Figures 1 and with a corresponding ledge or wing portion 44 of the associated friction shoe generally designated 46 and hereinafter described in detail. It may be noted that each ledge 40 terminates at its outer extremity in an upstanding lug 48 affording a diagonal abutment surface 50, said surface 56 functioning *as stop means for the associated friction "shoe "4'6, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

The friction shoe is illustrated in detail in Figures 6-8 wherein it will be seen that the shoe cornprises a front or main friction wall 52 affording a front friction face 54 for frictional engagement as at 56 with a wear plate 58 mounted'in anyconvenient manner as by welding on the adjacent column 6. Projecting rearwardly from the main wall 52 of the friction shoe is a spring seat wall 60 affording a spring seat 62 sloping downwardly from the main Wall 52 as will be clearly seen in Figures 1 and 7, and "also projecting rearwardly from the main wall 52 are the spaced beforementioned ledges 44, 44 merging with a rear wall 64, said ledges presenting on their lower edges diago'nal wedge surfaces 66, 66 for engagement at 42 with the associated bolster ledges 40, 40, as heretofore described. Each of the wedge surfaces 66 is offset-toafior-d an abutment or stop surface at68 adapted to abut against the associated stop surface 50 under the conditions hereinafter described.

The'fr'ic'tion shoe "46 is actuated by a substantially vertical spring compressed between and bearing against'the top wall 22 of the bolster and the spring seat 62 -of the-friction shoe, and it may be noted at this point that the before-mentioned sloping of the spring seat affords relatively great pressure adjacent the forward edge thereof, whereby as the'bolster'is elevated in the bolster opening for removal therefrom, the rocking action of the shoe is facilitated, thereby urging the stop surfaces"68,'68 of the shoe into abutment with the complementary surfaces 50, '51) of the bolster. It may also be noted that this rotating or rocking action of the shoe .is dii'e'to 'the fact that the iongitudinal axis of the spring '10 is disposed out- Wardly of thepoints ofcontact at 42 between the friction shoe'andbolister wedge surfaces, as may be clearly seen in Figure 1. Thisarrangementof the spring in combination with the crowned wedge surfaces of the ledges 40, 40 causes the before-mentioned rotating action.

Indicated in phantom lines in Figure 1 at the top of the bolster opening is the bolster and frictionshoe unit illustrated in position preparatory to assembling or disassemblingthe unit with respect to the side frame. The bolster in its elevated position in Figure 1 is indicated at 20A and the friction shoe is indicated at 46A, the shoe actuating spring being indicated at 10A; and it may be'noted that in this elevatedp'osition of the bolster and friction shoe unit, the complementary stop means 50 and 68 of the bolster and shoe-respectively are in engagement at 12, thereby .l'imiting the rotational movement of the shoe and maintaining it in stable position relative to the bolster so that the bolster and shoe constitute a unit which may be conveniently assembled and disassembled with respect to the side frame. "It may also be noted that the friction shoe in its tilted or rotated position, as shown at 46A, is afforded slight clearance from the'wear plate 58 so that under these conditions there is "no'frictional engagement between the shoe and the wear plate, thus readily accommodating insertion of the bolster and friction shoe unit into the bolster opening or removal of the unit therefrom.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame with spaced columns partly defining a bolster opening having a widened upper portion, a spring group bn 'said"-frame in said opening, a bolster supported by said group, said bolster comprising inboard and outboard guide lugs cooperating with each column to afford an interlock between the side frame and the bolster, the outboard lugs being of less depth than the widened upper portion of the bolster opening to accommodate removal of the bolster during quick wheel change, a pocket in each side of the bolster adjacent the associated column, a diagonal ledge on :said bolster within said pocket, a spring seat integrally formed on said bolster in vertically spaced relationship .to said "ledgaa friction shoe having a wedge face in rockable engagement with said ledge, and a friction face engaging said associated column, a compressed substantially vertical spring reacting against said seat and against an aligned abut-r ment surface on said shoe, the longitudinal center line of said spring being spaced outwardly from'the point of contact between said wedge face and said ledge whereby upon elevation of said bolster in saidbolster opening to the widened upper .po'r'tionthereo'f said shoe is caused to rock on said ledge thereby causing said friction face to become disengaged from 'the associated column, and cooperating stop means on said shoe and said bolster for limiting the rocking movement of said shoe.

2.1n-a railway car truck, a side frame with spaced columnspartially defining a bolster opening having a widened upper portion, a spring group on said frame in said opening, a bolster supported on :said group, said bolster comprising guide means of less depth than the widened upper portion of said bolster opening in interlocking engagement with said columns, .apocket in each side of the bols'ter adjacent the associated column, spaced diagonal ledges on said bolster within said pocket, a spring seat integrally formed on said bolster in vertically spaced relation to said ledges, a frictionshoe having spaced wedge faces rockably engaging respective ledges, and a friction face engaging said associated column, a compressed substantially vertical spring extending between said ledges and said wedge faces, said spring reacting againstsaid seat and an aligned abutment surface on said shoe, and cooperating stop means on said shoe and said bolster adjacent the outer extremity of said pocket for limiting rocking movement of the shoe, the longitudinal center line of said spring beingspaced outwardly from the .points of contact betweensaid wedge faces and said ledges Where-by upon elevation of s'aid'bolster in said bolster opening to the widened upper portion thereof said shoe'is-ca-used to rock on said ledges, thereby pausing --sa-id friction face to become disengaged fromthe associated column.

In a railway car truck, aside frame having tension and compression membersa-nd spaced c01- umns defining therewith a bolster opening, a

bolster spring-supported in said opening, said bolster having at each side thereof a pocket with a diagonal web therein, each of said pockets housing snubbing means including an auxiliary spring and a wedge shoe rockably engaging the associated web, said auxiliary spring urging said shoe into said rocking engagement with the associated web and into frictional engagement with the adjacent colurrm, the bearing between said shoe and the associated web being eccentric with respect to the axis of said auxiliary spring whereby elevation of said bolster above normal operating position in said opening automatic-ally permits said auxiliary spring to rock said shoe to a fixed inoperative position as said bolster approaches the top of said opening, and interengagin means on said shoe and said web limiting the rocking movement of said shoe and limited sliding movement thereof against the associated Web.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame having tension and compression members and spaced columns partially defining therewith a bolster opening, guide surfaces on the adjacent edges of said columns intermediate the upper and lower extremities thereof, a bolster spring-supported in said opening, snubbing means housed in each side of said bolster including an auxiliary spring and a wedge shoe bearing against said sprin and rockably seated against Wedge means in the bolster, said auxiliary spring being operable to urge said wedge shoe along said wedge means into engagement with the associated guide surface, the bearing between said shoe and said wedge means being eccentric with respect to the axis of said auxiliary spring whereby movement of said bolster to a point vertically spaced with respect to the normal operating position thereof automatically permits said auxiliary spring to rock said shoe to a fixed inoperative position within the bolster, and means on said bolster for engaging said shoe to limit relative sliding and rocking movement of the latter against said wedg means.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns partially defining a bolster opening, a bolster resilientl supported in said opening, snubbing means housed within said bolster adjacent each column, each of said snubbing means including an auxiliary spring compressed against a portion of the bolster and a friction shoe bearing against said spring, said shoe having frictional engagement with the adjacent column and having rockable wedge face bearing with a, diagonal wedge surface within the bolster, th be ing of said shoe against said Wedge surface being eccentric with respect to the axis of said auxiliary spring whereby said spring may automatically rotate said shoe about said bearing to a fixed position within said bolster as the latter is moved vertically from its normal operating position within the bolster opening, and means on said bolster for engaging said shoe to limit relative sliding and rocking movement of the latter against said wedge surface whereby said shoe is maintained in said fixed position.

6. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising a column, a bolster resiliently supported from said frame adjacent said column, said column comprising a friction surface, wedge means in rockable wedge engagement with the bolster and in frictional engagement with said surface, resilient means compressed at opposite ends thereof against abutment means on said bolster and Wedge means respectively, and spaced abutment surfaces on said bolster and wedge means respectively, said resilient means being so arranged that its longitudinal axis is closer to said column than the point of contact between said bolster and Wedge means whereby when the bolster is moved vertically to disengage said wedge means from said friction surface, said resilient means is operable to rotate said wedge means to a point at which said abutment surfaces become engaged to limit the rotational movement of the wedge means.

'7. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns partially defining a bolster opening, a bolster spring-supported in said opening, snubbing means housed in each side of said bolster, each of said snubbing means including an auxiliary sprin and a friction sho having rocking engagement with a diagonal wall of said bolster and having flat face engagement with the adjacent column, the bearing of said shoe against said wall being eccentric with respect to the axis of said auxiliary spring whereby said spring may automaticall rotate said shoe about said bearing to a fixed position within said bolster as the latter is elevated to the top of said opening, and interengaging means on said shoe and said wall limiting the rotational movement of said shoe.

8. In a friction shoe and bolster assembly for a railway car truck, a, bolster with a. pocket therein, spaced diagonal ledges on said bolster in said pocket, each of said ledges having a wedge surface terminating at its outer end in a stop lug with an abutment surface angularly related to said wedge surface, a friction shoe in said pocket having spaced wing portions in wedge engagement with the wedge surfaces of respective ledges, each of said wing portions comprising a diagonal face opposed to the associated abutment surface, and resilient means compressed between a wall of said bolster and a portion of said shoe, said resilient means extending between said spaced ledges and between said spaced wing portions.

9. In a friction shoe and bolster assembly for a railway car truck, a bolster having a pocket therein, a friction shoe Within said pocket, said shoe and said bolster having complementary abutting wedge means in rockable interengagement, cooperating stop means integrally formed with said shoe and bolster respectively for limiting relative rocking movement therebetween along said wedge means, a spring seat on said bolster within said pocket, a spring seat on said shoe, and resilient means under compression between said seats, said resilient means being so arranged that the longitudinal axis thereof is disposed laterally of the point of contact between said wedge means, one of said sprin seats being diagonally arranged with respect to the other thereof.

10. In afriction shoe and bolster assembly for a railway car truck, a bolster having a pocket therein, a friction shoe within said pocket, said shoe and said bolster having abutting wedge means in rockable interengagement, cooperating stop means integrally formed with said shoe and bolster respectively for limting relative rocking movement therebetween along said Wedge means, a spring seat on said bolster within said pocket, a spring seat on said shoe, and resilient means under compression between said seats, said resilient means being so arranged that the longitudinal axis thereof is disposed laterally of the point of contact between said wedge means.

11. In a friction shoe and bolster assembly for ons ore 7 a railway car truck, a :bolster, :a :frictionshoe :carried there'by, said shoe and bolster having abutting wedge surfaces, cooperating stop means -integrally formed on said shoe and bolster respectively for limiting relative downward movement of said shoe along said surfaces, "a substantially horizontal spring seat integrally formed with said bolster, 'a diagonal spring seat on said "shoe -below said first-mentioned seat, and resilient meansundGI'COTIlPIGSSiOIl between said seats.

12. In a friction shoe for a railway car truck, a hollow member with asubstantially vertical front wall comprising a front friction face, a spring seat web projecting rearwardly from said wall and presenting a spring seat, and spaced ledges projecting rearwardly from said wall and comprising respectively wedge surfaces sloping 'toward "said wall, each of said wedge surfaces being offset adjacent said wall to afford an abutment angularly related thereto.

13. In a friction shoe for a railway'car truck, a hollow member with a front-wall comprising a friction face, a web projecting rearwardly from said wall and presenting a sloping spring seat,

and a ledge projecting rearwardly'from'saidwall and comprising a wedge surface sloping therefrom, said wedge surface being offset adjacent said wall to afford an abutment angularly related 'to said wedge surface.

14. Ina railway car truck, a sideframe,.a 1001- f ster spring-supported therefrom, a friction shoe housed within the bolster in wedge eng gement therewith and in frictional engagement with a portion of said frame, a resilient actuating means for said shoe housed within said bolster in abutment therewith, and cooperating stop means integrally formed on said bolster and said shoe for limiting outward movement of thelatter, said resilient means being operative upon engagement of said stop means to rotate said shoe to a diagonal position in said bolsterfacilitating clearance of said shoe from said frame portion upon ,el'evation of said bolster for removal from said side frame.

15. In a friction shoe and'bolster assembly "for a railway car truck, a bolster, a frictionshoe housed therewithin, said shoe and'bolster'having abutting wedge surfaces, cooperating stop means integrally formed on said shoe and bolster respectively for limiting movement of said shoe .outwardly of said bolster along said surfaces, and resilient means under compression between-portions of said shoe and said bolster, said resilient means being operative upon engagement of .said stop means to rotate said shoe to a diagonalposition in said bolster facilitating application or .removal of said assembly from an assoc'iatedside frame.

'16. In a bolster for a railway car'truck, amember with a friction shoe pocket-in at least one side thereof, a sloping wedge face on said memberwithin said pocket merging at the outer extremity thereof with a reversely sloping abutment surface adapted to act as stop means for'anassocia'ted friction shoe, and aispring seat on said bolster within said pocket, said seat'being verticallyspaced with respect to said face and facing thesame, saidwedge face being crowned and; relieved at the edge adjacent said surface to accommodate tilting of an associated .fri'ction-sh'oe.

-17. In *a bolster for a railway cartruck, aboxsectionmember with a friction-shoe'pocket in-at least one side thereof, a ledge integrally formed With said member insaid pocket, "said ledge'slopterminating a stop lug for an'associated friction shoe, and-a spring seat'on said bolster within said pocket, said seat being in vertically spaced relationship with-respect to said ledge and facing the samesaid ledge being crowned and having a relieved portion adjacent said lug to accommodate a'tilting movement of an associated friction shoe.

18. In-a railway car-truck, a side frame, a bolster spring-supported therefrom, a friction shoe in wedge engagement with a crowned surface on said bolster and "in frictional engagement with a portion ofsaid frame, resilient means compressed '-betweensaid bolster and said shoe for actuation of the latter, and means on said bolster adapted for engagement with said shoe to maintain the shoe in assembled relationship with said bolster when the latter is dissociated from said frame, said resilient means being operative upon engagement of said shoe with said means on said bolster to tilt said shoe along said crowned surface to an inclined position facilitating its disengagement from said .frame as said bolster is elevated in said frame forremoval therefrom.

'19. In a friction shoe for a railwa car truck,,a hollow:member with a front Wall comprisingva friction face, a web projecting rearwardly from salid'wall and presentinga spring seat angularly related thereto, andaledge projecting rearwardly from said wall and comprising a wedge surface .angularly related thereto and to said seat, said wedge surface beingoifset adjacent said wall to afford ,an abutment ,angularly related to said wedge surface and adapted for interlocking engagement withanessociated truck part.

.20. In afriction, shoe and bolster assembly for a railway car truck, a bolster, a friction shoe supported therein-said shoe and bolster having abutting ,wedge surfaces, one of said wedge surfaces having ra-crowned (face, cooperating stop means integrallmformedon saidshoe and bolster respectively for limiting movement of said shoe along said surfaces, a substantially horizontal spring seat-on-said bolster, an opposed diagonally arranged :spring seat on said shoe, and resilient means'un-der compression between said seats.

21. Inrafriction shoe and bolster assembly for arailWay oar truck,;a bolster, a friction shoe sup ported-=.therein,; said shoe and bolster having abutting wedge surfaces, ,cooperatingstop means integrallyformedionsaid shoe and bolster respectively:foralinritingmovement of said shoe along said surfaces, :a substantially horizontal spring seat 1011 saidb.olster, an opposed diagonally arranged .-spr-in-g ,seat on said shoe, and resilient means :under compression between said seats, said resilient .means 'be'i-ng operative to tilt said shoe with respect to said bolster upon engagement of saidstop means.

22. In a friction shoe and bolster assembly for a railway *oar truck, a bolster, a friction shoe supported therein, said shoe and bolster having abutting: wedge surfaces, cooperating stop means integrally formedson said shoe and bolster respectively for limiting movement 'of said shoe along said surfaces, a substantially horizontal spring seat on said bolster, an opposed diagonally arranged springseat on 'saidshoe, and resilient means unilermompression-between said seats, whereby one end of said-shoe-is withdrawn inwardly of said bolsteran'd the "other end thereof projected outwardly'therefrom to facilitate application or removal of said assem-bl-y with respect to an associing toward the outer extremity of-"said' pocketand "-75 d ideT-rome.

23. In a friction shoe for association with a bolster in a railway car truck, a hollow member with a front wall comprising a friction face, a. web projecting rearwardly from said wall and presenting a spring seat angularly related thereto, and a ledge projecting rearwardly from said wall and comprising a wedge surface angularly related thereto and to said seat, said wedge surface being offset adjacent said wall to afiord an abutment angularly related to said wedge surface and adapted for interlocking engagement with an associated truck part, the bottom wall of said shoe being chamfered at one edge thereof to accommodate tilting within said bolster under certain operating conditions.

RAYMOND C. PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

